polyelectrolyte| Anionic

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polyelectrolyte| Anionic ,

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Polyelectrolyte charge

Acids are classified as either weak or strong (and bases similarly may be either weak or strong). Similarly, polyelectrolytes can be divided into 'weak' and 'strong' types. A 'strong' polyelectrolyte is one which dissociates completely in solution for most reasonable pH values. A 'weak' polyelectrolyte, by contrast, has a dissociation constant (pKa or pKb) in the range of ~2 to ~10, meaning that it will be partially dissociated at intermediate ph. Thus, weak polyelectrolytes are not fully charged in solution, and moreover their fractional charge can be modified by changing the solution pH, counterion concentration, or ionic strength.